Caritas University, Amorji-Nike, Enugu held its long awaited Convocation ceremony on Saturday 11th December, 2021. This 9th Convocation ceremony wasfor the award of degrees for four sets of graduating students namely 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 Academic Years.
The Chancellor/Founder, Very Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel M. P. Edeh (CSSP, OFR) presided over the ceremony and also delivered the Convocation address. In his address, he underscored the importance of quality contributions of private universities in Nigeria’s higher education growth and development. He then extolled the virtues of Caritas and Madonna universities which he founded,and which equally are making our nation proud. In his characteristic manner, he advised the students to continue to be well-behaved as his universities do not and would not tolerate the misdemeanors that take place in public universities.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Vincent C. Okore delivered his address titled ‘Surviving the Odds’ in which he decried ‘a trend wherebyan old drug, which had, for a very long time lost clinical value because of its severe adverse effects, has been resurrected by the youth, and it is coming back with highly injurious and in some cases fatal consequences’. This drug he stressed ‘is a synthetic pharmaceutical substance, generally known as metamphetamine which the Igbos have now popularized as ‘mkpuru mmiri’, a stylish description of its crystalline appearance that bears close resemblance to ice chips’.
Prof. Okere who is a Pharmacist warned that ‘any person, child, youth or adult, who wishes to live a useful, fulfilled and responsible life, must have absolutely nothing to do with this agent of mental devastation’.
Following Prof. Okore’s address, was the Convocation Lecture on The Place of Private Universities in Nigeria which was delivered by Prof. Uchenna Casmir Anyanwu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Madonna University, Elele Campus.
The Chancellor after admitting all the graduands for the four sets (years)gave special recognition to all First Class Graduates in each session (starting with the Overall Best student).
Thereafter, he used the following sentence to congratulate all of them: “I have the pleasure to acknowledge your exceptional performance and attainment in your academic pursuits at Caritas University, Congratulations”.
With this done, the Chancellor then invited the Valedictorian Miss Obasi Susan Chioma to read her Valedictory Speech. Incidentally, Miss Obasi Susan was not only the Overall Best Student in her 2017/2018 set, she also emerged as the ‘Best of the Overall Best Students’ for all the four graduating sets with an unbeaten Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.81.
In her Speech titled The Crown of Hard Work, she quoted Benjamin Franklin (one of the founding fathers of the United States of America) who said that ‘an investment in knowledge pays the best interest’. She noted that although their years in the university ‘was not a smooth ride…all those nights of burning the midnight candles finally paid off, as we are all today wearing the crown of hard work’. She noted that although the world today has changed as a result of COVID-19 pandemic which affected the educational system and all spheres of life, she called on all graduating students to embrace the new reality and brace up because the world will keep evolving.
She paid glowing tribute to Caritas University for instilling in them a lot of moral values and principles which have continued to help them in their everyday life. She urged all the graduating students to hold on to these moral values as life is a journey. Furthermore, she said that their graduation is a beginning of a new journey and for them to attain new height and accomplish goals they still need to be determined, focused, hard-working, dedicated and put God first.
She continued:
“As we begin a new chapter in our lives, let us not forget such moral values and principles we uphold. As we all continue with our daily lives, let us be confident and believe we can overcome whatever obstacles we encounter, knowing we are goal getters and have been equipped with the necessary tools to tackle them.
“I am most grateful to God for bringing us this far and as Walt Disney who is an American Entrepreneur said, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them”. I believe this is just a starting point and we will accomplish even greater things in life.
“It is now my great pleasure to thank profusely my parents Prof. & Prof. (Mrs.) Isaac & Susan N. Obasi of the University of Abuja, my siblings (Francis Chidiebere, Pamela Chinenye, and Eric Chiemeka) for all their encouragement and support. I also thank all my course mates, relations, friends, and the entire university administration and community for the privilege of attaining this feat as the Best Graduating Student during the 2017/2018 Set”.
